by Jesus Ibarra

I first heard the “Dog Days Are Over” live on the radio; I was so impressed and enamored by Florence Welch’s powerful voice that I had to find out more about this band and their music. I bought the album and began listening. I was very surprised that I fell in love with this record because it’s not what I normally listen to. When I say I fell in love with this album I’m not exaggerating, I listen to it at least once a day and I am eagerly awaiting the next album Florence puts out.

Lungs has spawned seven singles in the U.K., the most popular here in the States being the “Dog Days Are Over” the opening track of the record. I find it very hard to describe the record’s songs and overall genre musically, I just feel that I love it. The best description I can give is Florence’s voice is very powerful, ethereal, and extremely emotive. The lyrical content can sometimes be dark but is based on Florence’s experiences: “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” is about the changes that Florence felt when she started becoming popular in U.K. The rest of the songs such as “Howl”, “Drumming Song”, “Cosmic Love”, “Kiss With a Fist”, and “Blinding”, are mostly about love, relationships, and the people close to Florence in some way.

The most I take from this record is again her amazing powerful voice, which really is the heart of this record. This is possibly one of the best records and new artists I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. You can learn more about Florence + the Machine on their website.

Jesus Ibarra is 18 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section; with a love of all media, he’s always on the lookout for the best finds.